I received an invitation from Michael and Ed Sands of Calvert Woodley to attend this fabulous evening at the Park Hyatt Hotel in DC. I had no idea what the evening was going to bring. I had imagined that there would be a multi course dinner and various Cognac from Remy Martin would be served. I had attended Scotch and Cognac tastings before, however, this was quiet different. Louis XIII Cognac is a special Cognac that has been in the making since 1913, as it is required the spirit be aged between 40 to 100 years in special wood barrels to constitute the bottle.
Remy Martin holds evenings like this all over the world to introduce this special bottle to the Cognac lovers. First of all, as I said this is a very special bottle. The caraft that the Cognac comes in is made by Bacarat and is handmade by their master glass makers in France. The Cognac is exceptional, the grapes are top quality of the vintage. The house master blends these various batches to create the Louis XIII.
The event was held at the second floor of the hotel where the restaurant has a long wooden table set aside for events such as this.
Hors d'oeuvre
The evening started with passed hors d'oeuvres and a glass of Charles Heidsieck Champagne.
Passed hors d'oeuvres included various canape of roe, oysters and salmon. They were all fabulous with the elegant champagne.
The First Course was Lobster Bisque, Poached Oyster, Clams, Black Mussels, Marble Potatoes and Seaweed Feuilletes.
This beautifully presented course was served with an elegant White wine from Mâcon France, the 2005 Domaine de la Bongran (Thévenet) - Viré-Clessé Cuvée E.J. Thévenet
Lying in the north of the Mâconnais between Tournus and Mâcon, Viré-Clessé is one of Burgundy's newest communal appellations and was formed to bring together the villages of Viré and Clessé which until 1999 bottled their wines as Mâcon-Clessé and Mâcon-Viré. The Chardonnays of Viré-Clessé are distinctly different from the appellations further to the South such as Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint Véran offering fresh, delicate wines with floral and herbaceous notes. The good news is that this wine is available at the Calvert Woodley!
96 points Robert Parker: "The heady 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire is more evolved than either the 2001 or 1998. Extremely full-bodied, with low acidity, and a knock-out bouquet of blackberry and cherry jam intermixed with licorice, pepper, and dried Provencal herbs, this sexy, voluptuous, enormously concentrated 2000 possesses a huge, silky, seamless finish. Drink this irresistible effort now and over the next 12-15 years. The Cuvee Centenaire is one of the world's most compelling red wines. It is produced primarily from a plot of ancient (planted in 1889) Grenache vines (80% of the blend), and the rest younger vine Syrah (8%) and Mourvedre (12%), all aged 18 months in oak casks. It is tempting to say this is a modern-styled Chateauneuf du Pape. The use of barriques puts it in that category, but there is no noticeable new oak. This wine sucks up the oak like a sponge, but the wood provides structure and delineation. The Centenaire has been produced in 1989, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2000, and 2001. My personal favorites are the 1998 and 1990, but the 1989 still has not hit full maturity. Moreover, the 2000 and 2001 are both prodigious efforts. Life's too short not to experience at least one bottle of Andre Brunel's Cuvee Centenaire! "
The Dessert
Passion Fruit Fondant, Exotic Fruit Sorbet Pineapple Drizzle.
After the final course, the Ambassador gave a presentation on the Louis XIII and poured a glass of this eau de vie for everyone (about 26 attendees). The color was clear golden brown, the first nose was floral with a hint of wood and roasted vanila. The second nose was rich fruits and intense spices. On the palate, Louis XIII takes you on a world journey: to China with flavors of lychee and ginger, to Cuba with cigars and cigar box, and Central America with cinnamon that goes down smoothly.
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